Bearing



APYil 23, 1940. o. v. cEDERBr-:RG v 2,198,376

BEARING Filed Dec. 17. 1937 r Patented Apr. 23, 1.940

UNITED STATES BEARING Olof V. Cederberg, Valparaiso, Ind., assignor to McGill Manufacturing Company, Valparaiso, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application December 17, 1937, SerialNo. 180,415

2 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to bearings and more particularly to antifriction bearings in which the rolling elements are permanently locked within the raceway to positively prevent tampering with them after the bearing assembly has been released by the manufacturer. The invention has been illustrated as embodied in different types of roller bearings in which a retaining ring at the ends of the rollers is held in place by a split ring l so arranged that when it has once been applied, its removal will rbe either impossible or so extremely difficult as to dependably foil misguided attempts to remove it.

` Movable parts on many typesof mechanical apparatus require precision bearings for satisfactory operation and maximum efllciency of such apparatus. Although rugged and able to withstand enormous forces in their proper use, the movable parts of the bearings themselves, and

i particularly the rollers of roller bearings, must nevertheless be made with almost infinite accuracy. As a result. it is very undesirable to service such bearings by replacing parts thereof, such as the rollers or raceways. when they eveni tually become so worn that the operation and efliciency of the mechanical apparatus is impaired. However, mechanics are very often prone to attempt to disassemble such bearings to replace parts and in so doing prevent the proper i functioning of the bearing thereafter, and in turn cause damage to the mechanical apparatus. Furthermore, when mechanics are unable to examine the rollers due to a closed inner raceway as will be described, they often attempt to disas- I semble a bearing in order to examine the inner elements. Accordingly, it is desirable that precision roller bearings be so constructed that the mechanic cannot possibly take them apart, and since such mechanics are sometimes quite ini genious and persistent this means that the bearing assembly must be so constructed that it is substantially impossible for anyone to take it apart.

Locking Washers have previously been employed on bearings, but such washers have been of such construction as to be dillicult to assemble, and as to necessitate corresponding, rather complicated and expensive structure in the bearing elements, so that such washers have not been entirely satisfactory.

According to the present invention a split locking ring is used. Such a ring can be applied much more easily than closed rings heretofore proposed, and may be less expensive in itself, and require less complicated corresponding structure on the bearing elements. Nevertheless, ac cording to thepresent invention, these split rings are equally as safe against tampering. 'l In one form of the invention the safety againsttampering is provided by beveling the ends of the split ring so that it is impossible to get a tool between the ends in such a manner as to exert a prying leverage. In another form of the invention the split locking ring is completely concealed and inaccessible so that it is impossible to get any tool to'the ring. When the ring is exposed, as in the first mentioned form, it is desirable that the ring used by a very still.' ring greatly expanded or contracted in its assembled position as a further safeguard against its removal. In other-words, the ring should be of such nature that a very strong force is required to lremove it, While its ends are of such shape or so concealed that such a force cannot be applied.

Additional features and objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the invention chosen for illustration.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1, showing particularly the shape of the ends of the retaining ring and its relative position in the bearing.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. A

Fig. 4 isa cross-section view of a modified embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the bearing oi' Fig. 4, similar to the showing of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross section of a further `modif1ed form of bearing, showing also its application to the trunnion of a shaft for which the bearing is provided.

Fig. 'l is a fragmentaryside view of the bearing of Fig. 6 taken approximately on the line I--l of Fig. 6 and with a portion of the confining ring broken away to show the split retaining ring therein.

Although this invention may take numerous forms, only three have been chosen for illustration. In each of these forms the bearing includes a plurality of rollers Il, 2l, or 3|, and an outer raceway I2, 22, or 32. In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 to 7 there is also provided/ian inner' raceway 23, or 33, forming part of the unitary bearing assembly. The term raceway is used as a convenient term for designating any casing or unit which includes the surface on which the rollers roll, even though this surface may be formed on an insert. i

equally simple.

`is retained in place permanently by a split ring I1 which tsinto a groove I8 in the outer raceway I2. The split ring I1 is initially oversize so that it must be contracted in orderto be inserted y within the raceway I2 with the result that it will spring into the annular groove I8.

I'he assembly of the bearing 'is of course ex-` tremely simple. After the rollers have been in-J serted and the confining ring is in place it isf` merely necessary to contract the split locking,`

ring I1 with a suitable hand tool, thrust it within the raceway I2, and release it so that it may expand by its own resiliency into the annular groove I8.

In order to prevent removal of the locking ring I1 its ends are beveled as seen at Il! so that there is no surface on which a screw driver or other implementcouldcatch to pry the ring out. 'I'he ring is so, shaped that its peripheral surface will lie in contact with the outer raceway I2 at the ends of the ring so that it will be impossible to insert a tool under thc end of the split ring I1. To this end it should also be a very stiff spring steel ring and initially considerably oversize so that it will expand against the raceway I2 with great force to more positively prevent the insertion of a sharply pointed tool under the end of the ring. When made of such strength, the points of the beveled ends of the rings may be blunted slightly as an element of personal safety without danger that the ring can be removed'.

Fig. 3 shows the same retaining structure at both ends of the rollers but it should be understood that, if preferred, a retaining flange could be formed integrally with the raceway I2.

In Figs. 4 and 5 a full inner raceway is provided. In the structure a closed confining ring 24 is positioned against the shoulder 2l of the outer race 22, and at a shoulder 2i of the inner race 23 to retain the rollers 2l in the bearing. and prevent removal thereof so long as the connning ring is held in place. This confining ring is heldin place by a split ring 21 similar to that of Fig. 1. The ring 21 engages an annular slot or groove 22 in the outer raceway 22, deeper than the width of the shoulder 2l so that when expanded into locking position the ring 21 extends beyond the circumferential edge of the ring 24 similar to the structure of Fig. 1.

The assembly of this bearing construction is After the rollers are in place between the outer raceway 22 and the inner raceway 23 the closed or confining ring 24 is positioned against the shoulders 2l and 2l, and consequently against that end of the rollers. Thereafter, the split ring 21 is contractedto slip past the annular outer shoulder on the groove Il until it springs into the groove 2l itself, in the' outer raceway. 'lhe depth of this groove is such that the ring 21 extends beyond the groove and over the outer surface of the confining ring 24 far enough so that it effectively keys the conning ring 24 in place. The retaining ring 21 fits very snugly against the outer face of the conuning-ring 24 'and by such fit and the inherent spring tension in thering 21 itself, makes it impossible to insert any tool between the two rings to pry out the ring 21. As a safeguard to prevent the insertion of a tool between the split ends of the ring 21, such ring may be beveled at its ends as seen at 2l so that a tool can get no purchase against an end, vnor in a wedging action between the ends, eventually pry out an end of the retaining and thus remove the entire member. I'he bevel should be at such an angle that a tool pressing against the same will simply slide on such end rather than force such end out of the groove, or when applied directly to the two ends will simply Jam rather than spread the ends of the ring apart. Likewise, the ring 21 may be made initially sufiiciently still.' so that a great deal of force will be necessary to expand it under any circumstances. In other words, both the rings of Figs. l to 3 and the rings of Figs. 4 and 5 may be in a stateof high elastic tension so that a great deal of force. even if it could be applied, would be n to remove them. I

A still further modification is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 7. A fuliouter raceway 32, and a full inner raceway 3l, similar to the corresponding elements of the structure of Fig. 4 are employed to support the rollers 2i. In the present structure, however, a relatively large confining ring 24 is positioned adjacent a shoulder 35 ofthe scribed above, the rollers 1I are iirst assembled in the raceways. The locking ring 31 is then contracted sufiiciently to be pushed over the inner surface of the confining ring 34 until it drops into the groove or channel 28' in said conning ring. This assembly is then moved up to the outer edge of the inner raceway and the locking ring 31 expanded into the groove 28' so that it may be pressed over the surface of the inner raceway until it reaches the channel 2B in the inner raceway. 'Ihe split ring automatically contracts and springs into the channel 28, securely and irremovably locking the confining ring I4 in place. If the ring I4 is snug on the inner raceway there is substantially no possibility of getting to the retaining ring 31. However, this ring may be similarly beveled at its ends as shown at 2l in Fig. 7.

It is understood that in all of the embodiments of my invention as shown, the confining and retaining or locking ring assembly is the same on each side of the bearings.

In the bearings of Figs. 4 to "I inclusive an inner spacer 4I is provided, although vthe width of the bearing may be such that a single roller will be acceptable, in which case of course the spacer is omitted. An oil hole such as 42 is shown in all of the embodiments.

From the foregoing it is seen that an antifriction bearing assembly has been provided in which the bearings are permanently retained in place so that tampering is absolutely prevented and there is no danger of the extreme precision with which the bearing assembly is manufactured being altered by tampering or attempted repairs. At the same time the retaining lmeans is very inexpensive and very easily applied.

The disclosures of this application are illus- 1 andavo 2. An antiiriction bearing assembly including trative and the invention is not to be limited by them. In fact, ii modifications or improvements are not at once obvious, they may be devised in the course of time to make additional use of the broad ideas taught and covered by this application. The claims are intended to point out novel features and not to limit the invention except as may be required by prior art.

I claim:

1. An antiiriction bearing assembly including in combination a raceway carrying a plurality of rolling elements therein, a confining member for preventing movement of the rolling elements is an axial direction out of the raceway, said raceway having an annular flange of substantially the same depth throughout its length, and means for substantially permanently retaining said rolling elements in the raceway comprising a split ring sprung behind said annular flange in a posi-l tion between said confining member and said flange, said split ring having its periphery protected by said ilange and having its ends of such a conilguration as to form a substantially V- shaped recess at said ends with the apex of the V at the base o! the ilange, with the depth of the flange being such in combination with said ring-end coniiguration and said ring seatingbehind said flange so that it will be substantially impossible to insert a tool beneath an end of the ring to move said end from behind said iiange.

in combination a raceway carrying a plurality of rolling elements therein, said raceway including an annular groove oi' substantially the same depth throughout its length, with the outside axial limits of said groove deilned by an annular ilange of substantially the same height throughout its length, a confining member within said raceway intermediate said groove and said rolling elements for retaining the rolling elements in said raceway, and means for substantially preventing removal of said confining member, said means comprising a split ring sprung into said groove to lie in a position behind said annular ange so that the periphery of the ring is protected by said ilange. with the ends of said ring each beingfbeveled to a substantially sharp point on the periphery of said ring. and with said points seated in the bottom of said annular groove,

with the points of said ends being substantially 20 together and forming a substantially V-shaped recess at said ends, with the bevel o1' each of said ends being such, and the ring fitting in said groove so that it is substantially impossible to insert a tool in said groove beneath an end of the ring to pry said end out of said groove and remove the ring therefrom.

onor' v. CDERBERJG. w 

